Yesterday, when I was at the Chimacum Farmers Market talking to Jim Queen, head chocolate maker for Chocolate Serenade, about adding some of my 2011 frozen raspberries to his “Dark Chocolate Dipped Caramel” recipe, I kept hearing Scottish Singer/Songwriter Simon De Voil soft songs in the background. After my chat with Jim (See Video: My Chocolates Make People Happy), I interviewed Simon and had him sing two songs for my YouTube audience.

Interview with Simon De Voil at the Chimacum Farmers Market.

Music has been with me since childhood, and the songs I write grow with me and tell of my journey through the ups and downs of life – first and foremost they’re my musical diary. Recently though, I’ve started to look outward and write about things I see in the world around me.

I am not a musician in the usual sense; I’ve never been on tour and I don’t work as a musician. (The first gig I ever did was in Glasgow, in a music bar. Afterwards some random guy punched me in the face, and I decided that my songs were too precious to play to people who didn’t want to listen!) Instead I work with people helping them sort themselves out; sometimes I sing to them but usually we just talk. A few of my songs are about the people I’ve worked with and hold their story rather than mine. I’m more of a storyteller than a musician and music is something I have, rather than something I do. – Simon De Voil

I thought Simon’s voice would be perfect for Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah. Although he had performed it earlier in his set, he did it again for the Vado HD pocketcam. (I’ve been posting YouTube videos of compelling Hallelujah performances to a Hallelujah Playlist for several years. Simon’s version was a good addition to the list. What do you think?)

Simon sings one of his orginal songs.

(Production Notes: The Creative Vado HD performed like a little chamption. It was the first time I recorded a performer “on stage” with a sound system. Simon didn’t get washed out due to the bright background. Using the field as a background, looked the best.)